Spacer-handling mechanism for type-bar-making machines.



A. W. LEl BOEUF.

SPACER HANDLING MGHANISM FOR TYPE BAR MAKING MAGHINES.

v APPLICATION FILED EEB. 2, 1912.

1,082,275. Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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A. W. LB BOEUF.

SPACER HANDLING MBGHANISM PoR TYPE BAN MAKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IBB. 2, 1.912. o 1,082,275l Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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//MM MW COLUMBIA PLANOGRAH C04. WASHINGTON, DA c.

A. W. LB BOEUF.

SPACER HANDLING MBGHANISM FON TYPE BAN MAKlNG MACHINES.

AFPLGATION FILED FBBZ, 1912.

1,082,275, Patented Deo. 23, 1913.

A SHEETS-SEMA.

A. W. LE BOEUF.

SPACER HANDLING MBCHANISM FOR TYPE BAR MAKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.2.1912.

1,082,275. Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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FUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. LE BOEUF, OF W'OONSCKE'J, RHODE ISLAND, SSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC COMPOSITOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SPACER-HANDLING MECHANISM FOR TYPE-BAR-MAKING MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. Ln BOEUF, a citizen of the United States, residing at IVoonsocket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spacer-Handling Mechanism for Type-Bar- Making Machines, of Vwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in the kind of type bar making machines, typified in the Bellows Patents No. 797,549 and No. 921,063, in which t-ubular tempor'ary spaces are assembled with the matrices, and, after serving as temporary spaces and as the means through which permanent justifying spaces are introduced into the line, are returned to their usual places.

The .invention is centered around these tubular temporary spaces, and include the means by which they are normally supported, the means whereby they are released and caused to assume their proper positions in the growing matrix line, and the means whereby, after they have performed their functions in said line, they are withdrawn therefrom without danger of displacing the matrices, and are returned to their normal positions.

The invention, in a specific embodiment which is especially adapted for use in a Bellows compositor having substantially the features of construction which are shown and described in the prior Bellows patents mentioned, is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of a type bar making machine as is involved by the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of some of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view in the plane of line A-A on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation in the plane of line B-B on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a. vertical section through the assembling rail and the adjacent parts, showing the relative positions of temporary spaces and matrices in an assembled line. Fig. 6 is an end view from the right side of Fig. 1, part of the framework being sectioned.

It will be understood by those familiar with this art, that as the matrices are re leased from their magazines, they fall onto Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 2, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23,1913.

Serial No. 674,968.

a moving gatherer belt 12, from which they are discharged onto an assembling rail; and that after each addition of a matrix or temporary space to the line, the entire line is moved along` by a packer, for example, the star wheel 32, a distance equal to the said addition.

The temporary spaces 15 are tubes which have parallel side faces. The machine may be organized to have any desired number of such temporary spaces, but in the construction shown, six are provided for and employed. Each is pivoted to the lower end of a tubular chute l1, so that said temporary spaces may stand vertically, irrespective of the inclination of said chutes. Those familiar with the before mentioned prior patents will understand that the upper ends of these chutes will always be in positions such that when permanent spaces are released from their magazines, one of said spaces .will drop into each of these chutes whose temporary space is in the assembled matrix line.

Each temporary space 15 has on its rear side a notched linger 15a; and normally'all of the temporary spaces are suspended upon an immovable V-edged space rest 50; this space rest is so placed that when the left hand space 15 is pushed from the left end of said rest, said space will fall into place behind the last matrix added to the line, and between it and the packer, and within the range of action of the latter so that said space and the line ahead of it may be pushed along' to the left.

When the temporary spaces are in the assembled position, their notched fingers overhang the spacer return rail 60; and after the spaces have performed their functions in the matrix line, this rail is elevated and brought into alinement with the space rest 50, and the spaces 15 are pushed from the rail 60 ontothe space rest 50.

It is obviously essential that each temporary space shall take its proper position in the line, c'. e., at the place where a space is required. But the matrices have a longer path to travel from their magazines to the assembling rail than do the spaces in traveling from the space rest to said rail; and therefore a time consuming device is employed as a part of the space releasing mechanism by means of which the discharge of a temporary space: is slightly retarded after the space key is depressed. Such space releasing and retarding mechanism is a part of this invention, and will now be described.

A space releasing plunger 54 is movable horizontally in a bracket 55, and has at its left end a linger 53 which is in Contact with the right side of the space at the right end of the rank of spaces on said space rest 50. rlhe position of the spaces relative to the space rest is such that if the rank of spaces be moved to the left a distance equal to the width of each space, the left end space will be pushed from said rest 50.

Loosely mounted on a rock shaft 139 is a lever 145 whose lower end engages a cam 144 against which said lever is held by a spring 145th The lever 145 projects above its fulcrum and carries a pawl 146 which is provided for engagement with a ratchet segment 14S which is fixed to shaft 139. During each revolution of the cam 144 the lever 145 will be rocked; its pawl 146 will engage the ratchet 14S and will move it and the shaft 139 through an arc represented by the distance between adjacent teeth on ratchet 148. An arm 54C which is fixed to rock shaft 139, is connected by the link 54d with the plunger 54. The described parts are so proportioned that as a result of each cam-induced movement of lever 145, the plunger 54 will be pushed to the left such a distance that the left temporary space will be pushed from the space rest 50.

It is obvious that the return of the ratchet segment to the normal position must be provided for. As a matter of fact, where the temporary spaces in a line have been raised and are pushed to the right on said space rest, the plunger 54 is pushed to the right, and compels the backward movement of the ratchet segment and intermediate parts. But the backward movement of said parts would be prevented by pawl 146, if it remained in engagement with said ratchet segment. The pawl, however, has a short arm 146b which, as the lever 145 swings back to its normal position, engages a pawl trip 146C which is in the form of a finger fastened to a fixture and extended into the path of the pawl arm 146".

The cam 144 is fixed to a shaft 142 which, however, is not constantly rotated. An escapement clutch sleeve 140 is loosely mounted thereon, and, in the ordinary operation of the machine this sleeve is constantly driven; as through gear 140'al which is fixed thereto. This sleeve has on its rear end the clutch jaws 1401). A clutch sleeve 141 has a tongue and groove connect-ion with shaft 142, and it has clutch jaws 141b on its front end for engaging with the clutch jaws on the clutch sleeve 140. A spring 141a acts to move this sleeve forward so as to cause therefore, this space key lever is depressed, f

the escapement lever 149 will be rocked so as to withdraw pin 149a from its engagement with the cam surface on the clutch sleeve 141, whereupon this clutch sleeve, under the influence of its spring 14123 will move rearward causing the engagement of its clutch jaws with the clutch jaws on the rotating clutch sleeve 140, whereby 'the shaft 142 will be turned through one revolution with the result of causing, through the mechanism which has been described, such a leftward movement of the plunger 54 as will push the left temporary space from the space rest. The operator will, however, have released key 233 before the shaft 142 will have completed its revolution, and therefore the pin 149 will take its place in the path of the cam surface on the clutch sleeve 141. As this clutch sleeve rotates, the engagement of this cam surface with this pin will cause the clutch sleeve to move in the releasing direction and will withdraw it from engagement with the clutch member 140, whereby the rotation of the shaft 142 will cease.

A guide plate 56 is fixed just to the right of the path in which the temporary spaces should fall when pushed from the space rest. A rear space guide 51 is fixed to a little rock shaft 52, and extends down just to the left of the guide plate in such position that when a temporary space drops, its finger 15l will fall between this guide 51 and said guide plate 56 A light spring 52C which is secured to an arm 52b fixed to said rock shaft, yieldingly holds the lower end of said guide close to said guide plate.

A front space guide 57 is pivoted at its upper end on a horizontal pivot to the front side of the guide plate 56, and has a rearwardly extended flange 57a which is so located that when a space drops from the space rest, a forwardly extended pin 15b carried by said space will drop between the guide plate and said flange. A light spring 57'b acts on the front guide 57 to swing its lower end toward the guide plate 56.

lVhen one of the spaces 15 is pushed from the space rest, in the construction shown, the chutes 11, being inclined to the left as shown, tend to swing the upper end of said space 15 to the left, and out of the upright position it should occupy. These two yielding guides 51 and 57 by engaging the front and rear parts of said space near its upper end guide the upper end of said space during its rop.

An inclined spring 59 extends at its lower end diagonally across the path of the descending lower end of said space, and serves as a buffer to break the fall of said space, and also as a guide to insure that said lower end shall take its proper position above the assembly rail and between the packer and the last matrix added to the line.

After a line of matrices and temporary spaces have been assembled, a justifying or permanent space is dropped into each of the temporary spaces in the line, so that they will rest upon the assembling rail. Each of the matrices M (see Fig. 5) employed in this machine, has a dove-tail notch in its lower edge. The assembling rail is made in two parts 8 and 4, each carrying one of the halves 8a, 4a, of an upwardly projecting dove tail rib. This two part rib projects into the dove tail notches of all matrices which rest upon said rail. The front part 4 of the assembling rail is fixed to the upper horizontal edge of a rocking frame 24 which, at its lower edge, is loosely hung on a horizontal rock shaft 177. Loosely mounted on this same rock shaft is a bell crank lever 17 G, one arm of which carries a friction roller 17 6a that engages with cam 175 fixed to a rotatable shaft 195. The other (substantially horizontal) arm of this lever 1.7 6 is connected by a link 179 with the joint between two toggle links 1792, 1791), one of which is pivoted to a fixture 22, and one to said rocking frame 24. A spring 178 which engages with this bell crank lever 176 acts to move it in the direction which, through the described mechanism, will cause the upper end of said rocking frame 24 to swing forward and therebyspread apart the two parts 8a, 4a, of the dove-tail rib. The cam 175 acts to rock said lever in the contrary direction.

The chute rail 60, which lies beneath all of the rearwardly extended fingers 15 on those temporary spaces which have been introduced into the matrix line is `hxed to two rail carriers 64. Each of these carriers 64 has fixed to it an upwardly extended plunger 65. These plungers are respectively slidably vertically in holes in the vertically movable sleeves (S1- 62, and their heads 651 project above the tops of these sleeves. These sleeves are themselves vertically movable upon fixed guide bars 66 and 67,--the upper ends of which are connected by the bracket bar G8. Springs 65 within the sleeves 61u62 are compressed between the heads of the plungers 65 and shoulders on said sleeves, and they act to normally hold the rail carriers in contact with said sleeves. The power to move the sleeves 61--62 upward is applied through two links 63 whose -upper ends are respectively connected with said sleeves, and whose lower ends are pivotally connected with levers 71, 71b which are fixed to a rock shaft 74. One of the levers 71 carries a friction roller 71a which engages with a cam fixed to the shaft 195. A chute return lever 78 is pivoted on a horizontal pivot to the bracket bar 68; and o-ne end of this lever is connected by link 81 with left sleeve 62. The free end of this lever 78 moves in a path which will cause it to engage the left temporary space on said rail.

The described parts operate as follows: rlhe operator, after he has released the required matrices to make up a word, will depress the space key rlhis lifts the lever 149, whereby the clutch member 141 will move forward and connect shaft 142 with the rotatable member 140, and thereby said shaft will begin to turn. ln making one revolution the cam 144 will, through the described mechanism, cause such a movement to the left of the plunger 54 as will push. the rank of temporary spacers on the rest 50 far enough to cause the left temporary spacer to drop therefrom. Because. of the time occupied in the movement of this spacer releasing mechanism said spacer will not descend until after the last matrix of the word has been carried to its position on the assembling rail, wherefore said temporary spacer will take its proper position behind said matrix. The operator, after holding the space key down for a brief interval will, of course, release it. Thereupon the pin 149l will move into the path of the cam surface 141C. As a result, the clutch member 141 will be moved in the clutch releasing direction, and the clutch members will be disengaged when the shaft has completed one revolution. The space key will be depressed, and, of course, the described operations will be repeated every time as the space is needed, and until all of the temporary spaces have been employed. Then a line has been complet-ed, a permanent space of the proper thickness is dropped through each of the tubular temporary spacers. Then the operator through mechanism which need not be here described, will cause the turning through one complete revolution of the shaft 195. As this shaft does so turn the cam 175 will permit lever 17 G to be rocked by its spring, so that, through the described mechanism, the upper -end of the frame 24 will be moved forward far enough to cause the two parts of the dove tail to engage the sides of the dove tail notches in all of the matrices, and bind them to the rail 8 1 so that when the temporary spaces are lifted, they cannot disturbsaid matrices. As shaft 195 continues to rotate, the cam 70, by engaging with one of the arms 71, will rock the rock shaft 74 and thereby, through the described mechanism, cause the upward movement of both of the sleeves (3l-52. As they move up, the rail and the. carriers thereof will move with said sleeves, but when said rail has been brought into alineinent with the rests 50, the heads of the plungers will strikethe set screws 68a carried by the bar 68, and further upward movement of said rail 60 will be prevented. Nevertheless the sleeves (3l-62 will continue to move upward a short distance farther. As these vertically movable parts have been moving upward, the spacer return lever 78 has been swung to the right. lt will h ve engaged the temporary spaces on rail 60 and moved them along the same toward the right end thereof. During the movement of the sleeves {3l-69. which takes place after the rail 60 has come to rest, the movement of this lever 78 will be such as to sweep all of said temporary spaces off the rail GO and onto the rest 50. The right end space will engage linger 53, and thereby it and the plunger 54 will be moved to the right; and as said plunger so moves the ratchet segment 14S will be swung back to its initial position. Wlhen, by the further revolution of shaft 195 the rail 60 and the parts associated therewith have descended to their normal position the cycle of operation produced by the described parts will have been finished.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. In space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a plurality of temporary spaces, a horizontal space support, a space key, and power driven mechanism which is set in operation by said space key for pushing` said spaces along said support far enough to cause one of them to drop off of said support.

2. ln space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, a plurality of spaces supported thereby, a space key, a rotatable shaft, a rotatable driving member therefor, a self actuated clutch for connecting said shaft and driving member, means adapted to be actuated by said space key for disconnecting said clutch or allowing it to move in the clutching direction, a cam on said shaft, and mechanism operated by said cam for pushing the spaces along the space rest so as to cause them to drop one by one therefrom.

3. ln space handling mechanism for type bar making' machines, the combination of a space rest, a plurality of temporary spacers having rearwardly extended fingers by which they may hang upon said rest, a space key, and power driven mechanism adapted to be set in operation by said space key for pushing the spaces along said rest far enough to cause them to drop one by one therefrom.

a. In space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, a plurality of spaces supported thereon, a plunger adapted to engage with the space at one end of the rank of spaces upon said support, a ratchet segment, an arm rigidly connected with said ratchet segment and having an operative connection with said plunger, a rocking lever, a pawl carried thereby for engaging said ratchetsegment, a rotatable cam for operating said rocking lever, a space key, and means controlled thereby for causing the cam to make one revolution when the space key is depressed.

5. In space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, a plurality of spaces supported thereon, a plunger adapted to engage with the space at one end of the rank of spaces upon said support, a ratchet segment, an arm rigidly connected with said ratchet segment and having an operative connection with said plunger, a rocking lever, a pawl carried thereby for engaging said ratchetsegment, a rotatable cam, a space key, means controlled thereby for causing the cam to make one revolution when the space key is depressed, and a pawl releasing device for withdrawing the pawl from engagement with said ratchet segment.

6. In space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, a plurality of temporary spacers supported thereon, a rotatable shaft, a rotatable driving m-ember carrying a clutch member, a sleeve which serves as the coperating clutch member and has a tongue and groove connection with said shaft and has a cam surface, a spring for moving said sleeve in t-he clutch engaging direction, a lever having a pin adapted to project into the path of said cam surface, a space key, mechanism connecting it with said lever, a cam fined to said shaft, and means operated by said cam for moving the spaces along said space support so as to cause one of them to drop therefrom.

7. In space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, a plurality of temporary spaces having rearwardly projecting fingers by which Said spaces are hung from said support, an assembling rail made of two separable parts, each carrying on its top surface a part of a dove tail, a plurality of matricesl having in their lower edO'es dove tail notches adapted to straddle said dove tail, a space return rail located adjacent to and behind said assembling rail, means for spreading apart the two parts of said assembling rail, means for raising the space return rail and bringing it into alinement with said space support, and means for pushing the temporary spaces from said space return rail onto said space support.

8. ln space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of an assembling rail having a iXed rear part, a front part movable toward and from the rear part, each of said parts carrying the parts of a dove tail rib, a rocking trame to which the front part of the assembling rail is xed, spring actuated mechanism for causing said iframe to swing outward to separate the parts of said assembling rail, and means for causing said frame to swing in the contrary direction. x 9. In space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, a space return rail, two guided vertically movable carriers to which said space return rail is connected, means for moving said carriers upward until the space return rail is alined with said space support, and a space return lever adapted to engagewith spaces which are supported by said rail and to sweep them oft the rail and onto the space support when these two parts are alined, and mechanism for swinging this lever while the space return rail is being raised.

10. ln space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, a space return rail located in the same vertical plane with the space support but in a lower horizontal plane, an assembling rail located below the space return rail and somewhat in front ot the said assembling rail comprising two parts, each bearing part of a dove tail, mechanism whereby the two parts of the assembling` rail are moved apart, mechanism whereby at the same time the space return rail is elevated and brought into alinement with the space support, and means for pushingl spaces oit of said space return rail onto said space support.

elevated and stopped as stated, and means for pushing the temporary spacers from said rail onto said support.

l2. In space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination oi' two vertical guides, two sleeves vertically movable thereon, two carriers also vertically movable on said guides, each carrier being provided with a plunger which extends up through said sleeve and projects beyond the top thereof, springs engaging said plungers and acting to hold the carriers in contact with said sleeves, a space return rail iXed to said carriers, mechanism operating on said sleeves to elevate them, and adjustable stops adapted to engage said plunger and to thereby stop the upward movement oi said space return rail without stopping the upward movement of said sleeves, a space return lever pivoted to a iinture, and an operating link connecting the same with one oit said sleeves.

13. ln space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, tempo ary spaces each having a rearwardly extended finger which overhangs and engages said space support and having also a forwardly projecting pin, a space key, mechanism controlled thereby for pushing one of said spaces oit ot said space supporting rail and allowing it to drop, a spring controlled guide with which the rearwardly extended finger on each space will engage as the space drops, and a yielding guide with which said pin will engage.

14. In a space handling mechanism for type bar making machines, the combination of a space support, temporary spaces having rearwardly extended lingers which overhang and engage said space support, a space key, mechanism controlled thereby for pushing one of said spaces oit' ot said space support and allowing it to drop, means engaging said spaces near their upper ends to guide them as they drop, and an inclined guiding butier spring against which the lower end ot each space will engage when it drops from said space support.

In testimony whereof, l hereunto afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR W. LE BOEUF.

Witnesses ROY J. Soumis, GUY L. HAMMOND.

Gopes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Tate-nte, Washington, D. G. 

